NUTRITIONAL RULES FOR FASTING
EAT WELL
The problem with most fasting information is that it only focuses on the fasting bit, not on what you need to eat. If you’re eating fewer calories, what you do eat becomes even more important. Why? We need nutrients for the glands and organs of the body to thrive and burn fat. Restricting nutrients by living on processed foods can deprive the body of the essential vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins it needs to maintain a healthy immune system, recover from injury or illness, keep muscles strong and maintain the metabolism. That’s why this book includes these nutrition rules and practical fasting plans and recipes to help guide you.
RULE 1: ONLY EAT “REAL” FOOD
This means no fake food and no diet-drinks. If you grew up in the UK, chances are you’ll have fond memories of bright orange corn snacks and fizzy drinks that turned your tongue red or blue. It’s to be hoped that now you’re “all grown up ‘n’ stuff”, you eat lots of rocket and Parmesan salads, roasted artichoke and monkfish. If only that was the case for all of us. Celebrity chefs may make out that this is the norm but it just isn’t. Most people still eat a diet full of processed, refined, low-fibre, nutrient-deficient foods.
Not all processed food is bad, though. In fact, some of it’s great. Canned food without added sugar or salt and freshly-frozen fruit and veg are just a couple of examples of stellar staples for your larder. It’s the low-calorie, low-fat, oh-so-easy snacks and meals that you need to watch out for since they’re often loaded with chemicals and hidden sugars.
In many low-fat products the fat is simply replaced by processed carbohydrates in the form of sugar. Read the label of your regular low-fat treats (apart from dairy products where low fat is fine) and I’ll bet you’ll see words ending with “-ose”. Various forms of sugar, be it sucrose, maltose, glucose, fructose, or the vaguely healthy-sounding corn syrup, are all bad news for weight gain, especially around the middle.
Heavily processed foods can also be high in chemicals. There’s a real and present danger that chemicals in the environment may have a blocking effect on hormones that control weight loss. When the brain is affected by toxins, it’s possible that hormone signalling is impaired. The reason why we’re unsure as to the extent of the problem is that it’s impossible to test for the thousands of chemicals that are contributing to the “cocktail” effect on the body. Err on the side of caution and control what you can. Keep foods “real”!
But what makes up a real-food diet?
PROTEIN
Protein is made up of amino acids, often called the “building blocks of life”, and we need all of them to stay alive and thrive. Proteins from animal sources – meat, dairy, fish and eggs – contain all the amino acids and are therefore classed as “complete” proteins. Soya beans also fall into this category. Once and for all, eggs are healthy. Eggs have had a tough time of it over the years. First the salmonella scare, then the unfair link to cholesterol. Eggs are low in saturated fat and if you eat eggs in the morning, you’re less likely to feel hungry later in the day.
Vegetable sources provide incomplete proteins. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you’ll get your protein from nuts, seeds, legumes and grains but you need a good variety of these to ensure that you get the full range of essential amino acids.
TOP TIP:
•Include more beans and lentils in your meals. Examples include kidney beans, butter beans, chickpeas or red and green lentils. They’re rich in protein and contain complex carbohydrates, which provide slow and sustained energy release. They also contain fibre, which may help to control your blood fats. Try adding them to stews, casseroles, soups and salads.
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbs are one of the most controversial topics in nutrition and weight loss. For years we’ve been told that we eat too much fat, and that saturated fat is the main cause of heart disease. But recently, some experts have challenged this view, suggesting that carbohydrate is responsible for the obesity epidemic and a whole host of diseases. Should we cut carbs, avoid fat or simply reduce our food intake and exercise more?
When the body is starved of carbohydrates it looks for energy in its glycogen stores. Water binds to every gram of glycogen so it’s easy to get dramatic weight loss – the only problem is that it’s mostly water weight! Along with those glycogen stores you’ll begin to lose fat but not at a rate higher than a healthier (and easier) weight-loss method.
The truth is there are healthy fats and healthy carbohydrates. Avoiding carbs altogether is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. The key is in recognizing that not all carbs are created equal. Lowglycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates, found in fibre-rich fruits, beans, unrefined grains and vegetables, are important for good health and can actively support weight loss – for example, through reducing appetite and energy intake.
However, high-GI refined carbohydrates, such as those found in soft drinks, white bread, pastries, certain breakfast cereals and sweeteners, not only make it harder to lose weight but could damage long-term health. Studies show that eating a lot of high-GI carbohydrates can increase the risk of heart disease and Type-2 diabetes.
There’s been a lot of research on low-carbohydrate diets in recent years. It was initially thought that they may damage bone and kidney health, but this doesn’t seem to be the case unless you have a pre-existing kidney problem. Low-carb diets can be effective for weight loss and also improve risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. However, they do carry risks.
First, the low intake of fruit, vegetables and whole grains on a low-carb diet reduces the intake of certain vitamins and minerals, notably folate, which is vital for women who may become pregnant. Second, cutting out unrefined carbohydrates dramatically reduces the amount of fibre in the diet, which leads to constipation and changes the balance of gut bacteria. In the long term, this may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Finally, eating a lowcarb diet based on animal protein has been associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality. High levels of meat and dairy create substances called prostaglandins, which are inflammatory. Inflammation is bad news for the body. Side-effects of a very low-carb diet can include bad breath, hair loss, mood swings, constipation and fatigue. In my opinion, this is too high a price to pay when weight loss can be achieved just as quickly without the side-effects.
For this reason, while I’d never recommend cutting out carbohydrates as a food group, my recipes focus on unrefined, low-GI carbs from whole foods rather than refined, high-GI carbs. As well as improving health, low-GI carbs release glucose into the bloodstream more slowly, which leads to a more sustained energy release, rather than the peaks and crashes you tend to experience if you eat a lot of high-GI carbs.
TOP TIP:
•Eat bulky carbs to become slim. When you choose “big” foods like fruits, vegetables, salads and soups, which are bulked up by fibre and water, you’re eating a lot of food that fills you up, but not a lot of calories.
FAT
Since fat is the greatest source of calories, eating less of it can help you to lose weight. However, fat is actually a vital nutrient and is an important part of your diet because it supplies the essential fatty acids needed for vitamin absorption, healthy skin, growth and the regulation of bodily functions. In fact, eating too little fat can actually cause a number of health problems.
The right kinds of fat, in the right amounts, can also help you to feel fuller for longer, so try not to think of fat as your mortal diet enemy, but rather a useful ally in the pursuit of your healthier lifestyle! Adding a little fat to your meals helps your body absorb nutrients and enhances the flavour of your food, so recipes have been created with this in mind. Choose monounsaturated fats or oils (e.g. olive oil and rapeseed oil) as these types of fats are better for your heart. Coconut oil can be a good choice for cooking as it’s heat-stable.
•Increase essential fats – aim for at least two portions of oily fish a week. Examples include mackerel, sardines, salmon and pilchards. Oily fish contains a type of polyunsaturated fat called omega 3, which helps protect against heart disease. If you don’t eat fish, use flaxseed oil in salad dressing and snack on walnuts.
•If you use butter, stick to a thin scraping on bread and just a smidgen for flavour in cooking.
•Choose lean meat and fish as low-fat alternatives to fatty meats.
•Choose lower-fat dairy foods such as skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and reduced-fat natural yogurt.
•Grill, poach, steam or oven bake instead of frying or cooking with oil or other fats.
•Watch out for creamy sauces and dressings – swap them for tomato-based sauces. Add herbs, lemon, spices and garlic to reduced-fat meals to boost flavour.
•Use cheese as a topping, not a meal – in other words, no macaroni cheese! Choose cheese with a strong flavour, such as Parmesan or goat’s cheese so that you only need to use a small amount.
RULE 2: CUT OUT SUGAR
Too much sugar makes you fat and has an ageing effect on the skin. Sugar links with collagen and elastin and reduces the elasticity of the skin, making you look older than your years. The recipes I provide use low-sugar fruits to add a little sweetness – and the occasional drizzle of a natural sweetener such as honey is fine – but, in general, sugar is bad news and best avoided.
TOP TIP:
•Stick to dark chocolate if you need a chocolate “fix” (which simply is the case sometimes!), as most people need less of it to feel satisfied.
RULE 3: WATCH THE ALCOHOL
Over the years the alcohol content of most drinks has gone up. A drink can now have more units than you think. A small glass of wine (175ml/5½fl oz/
cup) could be as much as two units. Remember, alcohol contains empty calories so think about cutting back further if you’re trying to lose weight. That’s a maximum of two units of alcohol per day for a woman and three units per day for a man. For example, a single pub measure (25ml/¾fl oz) of spirit is about one unit, and a half pint of lager, ale, bitter or cider is one to one-and-a-half units.
TOP TIP:
•If you’re out for the evening, try out some healthy soft drinks such as tonic with cordial, or an alcohol-free grape juice as a tasty substitute to wine. Alcohol-free beers are also becoming increasingly popular and are available in most pubs and bars.
RULE 4: EAT FRUIT, DON’T DRINK IT
If you consume around 1 litre (35fl oz/4 cups) fruit juice, remember you’ll be imbibing 500 calories. That’s fine if you’re juice fasting, but too much if it’s simply a snack. You could tuck into a baked potato with tuna and two pieces of fruit for the same amount of calories.
TOP TIPS:
•Choose herbal teas (especially green tea, which may aid fat loss).
•Feel free to have a cup or two of tea or coffee. A small amount of milk is allowed but keep it to a splash when you’re fasting.
•Sip water throughout the fast, aiming for a fluid intake of around 1.2–2 litres (40–70fl oz/4¾–8 cups) a day. This will not only help to keep hunger pangs at bay, it will also keep you hydrated.
RULE 5: AVOID THE PITFALLS
TOP TIPS:
•Top up before you fast. When you first start fasting, you may feel hungry during the times when you’d normally have a meal and you may also feel slightly light-headed if you have sugary foods as your last meal. This isn’t a sign that you’re wasting away or entering starvation mode, and these feelings of hunger will usually subside once that usual meal time has passed. Try to get your carbohydrate intake from fruit, vegetables and whole grains and eat a good amount of protein, which will fill you up for longer. Following the fasting plans will make this as straightforward as possible.
•Stock up for quick meals. Make sure you always have ingredients in your fridge and cupboards for meals that can be put together quickly, such as stir-fries, soups and salads.
•Don’t polish off the kids’ plates. Eating the children’s leftovers is a fast track to weight gain for parents. Put the plates straight into the sink or dishwasher when the children have finished their meal, so you won’t be tempted!
•Downsize your dinner plate. Much of our hunger and satiation is psychological. If we see a huge plate only half full, we’ll feel like we haven’t eaten enough. But if the plate is small but completely filled, we’ll subconsciously feel that we have eaten enough.
•Beware of the frappuccino effect. Black coffee only contains about 10 calories but a milky coffee can contain anything from 100 calories for a standard small cappuccino to a whopping 350+ calories for a grande with all the trimmings. Much like the plate size, shrink your cup size and shrink your waist line. Don’t be afraid to ask for half the milk – spell it out: “Don’t fill up the cup.” I do it all the time and the best baristas get it right first time!
•The sandwich has become the ubiquitous carb-laden “lunch on the go”. Lose the top piece of bread to cut your refined carbohydrates and instead fill up with a small bag of green salad leaves and healthy dressing.
•Don’t try to change everything at once. Bad habits are hard enough to break as it is. Focus on breaking one at a time.
•If you’re a parent, choose your meal skipping wisely. I’ve tried fasting with a toddler who doesn’t understand why Mummy isn’t eating and will, quite literally, shove a fistful of tuna pasta into my mouth.
•Get the portions right. If you’re restricting the number of meals you’re having, it makes sense that the portion sizes need to be bigger than they would be if you were eating five mini-meals a day. Use the recipe section as a guide to how big your portions should be.